A group of New Hampshire Republicans traveled to Boston on Thursday to thank Democratic Gov. Maura Healey for tax and regulatory policies that they say are creating jobs and growing businesses — in the Granite State.
“We came to the Massachusetts State House today to thank Gov. Healey and Massachusetts Democrats for their leadership and their policies that have made Massachusetts such a bad state to do business in, and New Hampshire such a good state to do business in,” said House Deputy Majority Leader Joe Sweeney (R-Salem).
He was joined by Reps. Brian Labrie (R-Bedford) and Joe Alexander (R-Goffstown), along with Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance spokesman Paul Craney.
On their way to Beacon Hill, the group stopped in Salem, N.H., to make their case that Healey is just the Massachusetts governor New Hampshire wants.
“Gov. Healy has done an incredible job driving businesses to New Hampshire. We are super grateful for this, and we hope it continues,” said Labrie. The group referenced two companies, Analogic and SynQor, that recently announced they are moving their corporate headquarters from Massachusetts to New Hampshire.
(CREDIT: Frame of Mind Photo/Jeffrey Hastings)
“Massachusetts is not competing with New Hampshire; it’s competing with Florida, Tennessee, Texas, and North Carolina. New Hampshire won, but in every case, Massachusetts loses,” said Craney. “In September, Massachusetts had its worst job growth number since the pandemic started. These are major warning signs for the Massachusetts legislature and for Gov. Healey. I’m here to just tell them they need to wake up.”
Both press conferences featured a chart listing 15 New Hampshire tax advantages over the Bay State, including no income or sales taxes, no capital gains tax, and no vehicle excise tax.
“The picture speaks one thousand words,” he said.
Thursday’s press events occurred just days after a damning Massachusetts Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development report showed that employers in the commonwealth axed more than 11,100 jobs in September — the biggest monthly loss since the onset of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, Massachusetts private sector employment growth is progressing at the third-slowest rate in the country.
“Look, we don’t want Massachusetts to fail,” Sweeney said. “We want Massachusetts to be able to succeed. We would love their legislators and their voters to open up their eyes and realize the destruction that they’re doing in their state before they lose all of their business in the state of New Hampshire.”
Healey was not amused.
“Our economy is about eight times the size of New Hampshire’s,” Healey told the Boston Herald. “Every day, hundreds of thousands of people are actually leaving New Hampshire to come work for companies and jobs in Massachusetts.
“Because, Massachusetts at the end of the day provides the economic engine to New Hampshire. New Hampshire doesn’t have a GDP without Massachusetts and what we provide.”
Paul Craney of Mass Fiscal Alliance speaks to reporters at a Salem, N.H. presser on December 11, 2025 (CREDIT: Frame of Mind Photo/Jeffrey Hastings)
Sweeney disagreed.
“There’s this great myth out there that Massachusetts Democrats, and even New Hampshire Democrats, like to push that New Hampshire is somehow dependent on the state of Massachusetts,” he said. “Nothing could be further from the truth. In metric after metric, New Hampshire outshines Massachusetts when it comes to quality of life, safety, education levels, our ability just to live our lives the way we want to, without the state getting in the way.”
Healey is currently running for a second term, and three Republican candidates are facing off in the GOP primary for the chance to challenge her.
Mike Kennealy, who worked in Gov. Charlie Baker’s administration, said through a spokesperson that the current fiscal situation in Massachusetts “has been an embarrassment” under Healey. “Massachusetts is one of the most expensive states to live in this country and it’s due to high taxes and excessive regulations.”
Fellow Republican candidate and Baker administration alum Brian Shortsleeve echoed the Granite Staters’ message.
“Maura Healey is the best thing that ever happened to the state of New Hampshire. Working families and job creators in Massachusetts need relief from crippling taxes and state-mandated fees that drive up energy costs.”
Mike Minogue, a West Point graduate who went on to lead a Danvers-based medical devices company, is also in the GOP primary. He said the message from New Hampshire “underscores exactly what I hear in every corner of Massachusetts: our state has become too expensive, too unpredictable, and too unfriendly to employers.”
This isn’t the first time New Hampshire Republicans have used Massachusetts as a foil. In 2024, Gov. Kelly Ayotte ran a successful gubernatorial campaign with the slogan “Don’t MASS up NH,” frequently referencing her Democratic opponent Joyce Craig’s fundraising events with Healey.
Alexander, who chairs the House Housing Committee, talked about the Granite State’s affordability advantage for young people hoping to own a home — another reason Massachusetts expats have made New Hampshire their top destination.
“I want to thank Maura Healey for sending political refugees to the state,” Alexander said, but he added a caveat: “If you move here, please keep the New Hampshire advantage going by electing more Republicans in the state.”
